News 07:00

BULLETIN 14 November 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Axed minister Dion George says he carried out his ministerial duties without fear or favour
# The African Union Commission says there is no genocide in northern Nigeria
# And rugby: The Boks can clinch a year-end top position this weekend

# Axed minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment, Dion George, says he carried out his ministerial duties without fear, favour or prejudice. President Cyril Ramaphosa removed him from his post on Wednesday and replaced him with Willie Aucamp. DA leader John Steenhuisen dismissed reports that the decision to dismiss George was prompted by misconduct or underperformance. George says conservation is not a position; it’s a lifelong commitment, adding that he will continue to support this cause wherever he is called to serve.

# Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating police corruption has given Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, ten days to revise his statement. This was after members accused him of thumb-sucking his testimony and instructed him to make an honest reflection. Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane said Nkabinde’s submission contained inaccuracies and contradicted previous evidence:

# Competition Commission chief economist, James Hodge, has revealed that Google monopolises search in South Africa, using news content to boost engagement without compensating media outlets. Presenting the Media and Digital Platforms Market inquiry report, Hodge highlighted declining referral traffic and bias favouring foreign media over community and vernacular outlets. Social media platforms, dominated by Meta, X, YouTube, and TikTok, offer limited monetisation options, affecting local news revenue and visibility:

# The Gauteng Alliance Political Council has rejected the DA’s motion of no confidence against premier Panyaza Lesufi, describing this as opportunistic and disruptive. The council is made up of the ANC, SACP, Cosatu, and SANCO. The DA has accused Lesufi of failing to provide effective governance, create jobs, ensure safety, and promote economic opportunities. The motion will be voted on today. The council says it reaffirms its full confidence in the leadership of Lesufi and the team of members of the executive council he leads.

# African Union Commission chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has pushed back against US president Donald Trump’s allegations of mass killings of Christians in northern Nigeria. Trump has threatened military action, accusing the Nigerian government of failing to stop what he called the mass slaughter of Christians in the country. This is despite Human rights experts stating that most victims of the extremist Islamist armed group Boko Haram have been Muslims. Youssouf has urged caution over unsubstantiated statements:

# Rugby: If the stars align this weekend, South Africa will be assured of the number one world ranking at the end of the year, despite the outcome of their final two tour matches against Ireland and Wales. For this to happen, the Springboks have to beat Italy in Turin tomorrow, and England must conquer the All Blacks at Twickenham. The Boks increased their lead over second-placed New Zealand with last weekend’s victory over France. England is currently in fourth place behind Ireland, which faces the Wallabies tomorrow.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-1-cents and the euro at 19-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-37-cents and Bitcoin trades at 99-thousand-347-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-186-dollars-2-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-36-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….